The Impact of Enlightented Thinking/ Scientific Revolution (T1) Flashcards
What was the ‘Scientific Revolution’?
It refers to the emergence of modern scientific beilefs and methods that took place from 1550-1800
In which areas were the developments in the scientific revolution and how did these help understanding?
New developments in: biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy and mathematics
Helped fundamentally alter established view of natural world & the role of god in commanding nature
What were the two dominant ideas that shaped natural philosophy?
- Aristotelian beliefs
- Platonic beliefs
What were Aristotelian beliefs (relating to scientific revolution)?
Based on work of Acient Greek philosopher Aristotle
He believed the universe was homocentric and used an empirical appraoch
What does homocentric mean?
Having the same centre
What does geocentric mean?
Having the earth as centre
What are Platonic beliefs (relating to scientific revolution)?
Based on the work of Plato - more theoretical approach based on thoughts rather than observation
Plato believed that as the physical world changed there is no way of gaining knowledge from it - but thoughts don’t change
What were the two elements of methodology that were underlying the scientific revolution?
- Mathematics
- Experiment and observation
How did Mathematics aid the scientific revolution?
|t was used to make precise calculations about how the world works
How did Experiment and observation aid the scientific revolution?
They were used to gain a better understanding of nature
Before the scientific revolution, what was the accepted model for the universe?
The geocentric model
Who put forward the geocentric model, and who was it supported by?
Ptolemy - it was supported by the Catholic Church
What was the geocentric approach?
- Used mathematical approach
- Planets moved in an epicycle while orbiting earth
- Supported ancient Greek idea that all heavenly bodies move in perfect circles
- By late middle ages Ptolemaic system became unworkable - too complex
What is an empirical approach?
Learning from observation
Who was Ptolemy?
An Acient mathematician
What is an epicycle?
A small circle, the circumference of which moves around a larger one
Who was Johannes Kepler?
The first to believe that all planets circled the sun
Went against the idea that universe could change by investigating the path taken by comets & revealed that heavenly bodies must be redundant
Still believed universe was designed by god
What were Kepler’s laws of planetary motions?
- Planets travel in elliptical orbits around the sun
- Planets don’t travel at constant speeds - they move faster when away from the sun
- The distance from planet to sun (cubed) is proportional to time it takes for planet to complete it orbit (squared)
How was Kepler’s idea of elliptical orbits different to previous beliefs?
It was contradictory to the acient view that all planetary movements took place in perfect circles
What did Kepler use to look at the world around him?
He used mathematics to solve problems & explain how the physical world had an impact on everyday life
How did mathematics improve life during the craze?
It went through a revolution, canal building & other avenues of structural engineering improved as a result of applied maths
How did Kepler influence the next generation of scientists after him?
He blurred the lines between natural science and applied maths - this had a great infulence on the next generation
Overall, how did Keplers work help to change attitudes towards magic?
He helped to change attitudes towards magic & sorcery
Kepler’s work emphasised the importance of observation to prove a theory.
This work encouraged scepticism
